No Zune in Europe until 2008

Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer told German business and economics magazine Wirtschafts Woche in an interview that the Seattle-based behemoth will delay the European launch of its moderately-awaited Zune MP3 player until next year. According to the interview, Ballmer cited the fact that Microsoft was losing money due to …

[Anonymous Coward]

Late in 2008

Hopefully by the time they get to 2008 they will have come out with something a little (or a lot) better.

No-one likes it, the theory is that the 1M units "sold" are sitting on retailers' shelves.

[Morely Dotes]

If you're lucky...

M$ will delay the Zune in Europe until they finally write and release a secure and mostly-bug-free operating system.

Sometime in the 35th Century, perhaps.

Caveat: Anyone who does get a Zune needs to know that, when you tell it to remove items from the library, *by default* it removes them from your computer's hard disk, too. Watch it!

[Wade Burchette]

You should be happy!

Zune was a product of some guys wearing suits trying to make a hip new product. It has to be, because the Zune is full of lame ideas. Take, for example, the brown color. If someone said to you "I think brown is going to be the next 'in' color!", what would you think? Especially if the brown they are talking about is very close to what you flush down your toilet. And then to top it off, song sharing was called "squirting". Who thinks "squirt" is a cool word? Somebody out of touch with the target audience, that is who. Imagine squirting with your brown Zune. The whole concept sounds like diarrhea. Little wonder the Zune is failing. You should be happy such a braindead idea isn't making its way across the pond any time soon.

[Anonymous Coward]

Oops...

I hope they aren't thinking they can drop this stinker on the European market in 2008 when it'll be the better part of two years out of date. My old 4G/40GB iPod, even with crap battery life and mediocre sound quality, beats the Zune hands down. Surely it can't be that hard to design a better iPod?

[Rob]

Why not...

... drop the harddisk space and update the media player to be a bit more customised for mobile music on a HTC windows mobile phone and who needs an iPod or iPhone.

[Rich Bryant]

I imported my Zune

Because Mactards piss me off and i thought i'd try it. If nothing else, it would upset the Applevangelists.

As it happens, i'm very pleased with it. It works. I watch ripped TV series and movies on it's great big screen and see a great picture with far better sound than the iPod ever managed.

The whole 2008 thing doesn't worry me. Why would i want to pay £250 for something i can import for £100? So i can't share music - no biggie. I'd prefer to listen to my own choices anyway.

Best of all, i don't have install iTunes, probably the single worst music controlling interface ever.

[Simon Dragon]

Quick, catch that bandwagon!

As ever, M$ has seen a rolling bandwagon and jumped to get on the back of it. Unfortunately, however, they appear to have missed the jump and landed flat on the ground in the settling dust. (Probably with their face in a pile of equine overflow.)

There seems to be a fair bit of that going on. It's funny that we never hear about this innovative new products that are going to make our lives complete UNTIL a competitor is marketing or developing something similar. From DOS to the flatpanel display interface (Surface? I forget), M$ have run after and jumped on bandwagons.

Most unfortunately of all, perhaps the one time they really should have landed in equine overflow they managed to corner the market. Dammit.

[Richard Street]

Got one and it's great...

Microsoft were kind enough to give me a Zune as a thank-you for some feedback I gave them on their customer service (or lack thereof)...

... Have to say I'm impressed. To live with it isn't as 'cool' as the ipod but the sound quality is great and the interface is lovely. Graphics are so, so sharp. It's rugged and quite happily sits at the bottom of my bag with now complaints.

Plus since every kid with a Burberry baseball cap has an iPod the 'cool' has become 'commonplace'... My iPod has been sidelined. Long live the Zune.

ps. Only one issue. If you do get an import please be aware you can't use the marketplace as this is US only.

[Anonymous Coward]

Zune, schmune

Well, all things considered, I for one won't be whining for it. I already own a Creative Zen Vision:M 30GB. Never had any problems with it (except resorting to import an adapter because only one store sells it locally and they're selling it for about twice the price than in Singapore).

I mean, come on. There are better players out there in the market. iRiver, MSI, one of those with wierd names from China, and they do just about as good a job at MP3s if not the same or better.

I'll gladly give this draconian piece that is created by the lizard empire a miss, thanks.

[Anonymous Coward]

Microsoft's arrogance knows no bounds

MS peons have been instructed to refer to the iPod and other MP3 players as 'Zune equivalents'. Seriously. They say this with a straight face and not a hint of embarrassment. Microsoft's brainwashing techniques put the CIA to shame.